Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 5, 1939. E. L. ANDERSON ET AL 2,7

' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 27, 1938 INIVENTORS 4 f 15-] Bi WW her 1' and comprises a plurality .of

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 Edward L. Anderson, Engalitcheff, Jr., mesnc assignments, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.,

Grosse Ile, Mich., and John- Dayton,

to Alco ValveCompa'ny, a corporation of Missouri Ohio, assignors, ,by'

Application May 27, 1938, Serial No. 211L480 7 Claims. (o1. 62-121) Our invention relates generally to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus having 'a plurality of cooling elements or evaporators.

An object of our invention is to provide in a reirigerating apparatus having a multiple evaporator, i. e, a plurality of cooling coils, a control for maintaining the coils uniformly or equally refrigerated during the operating cycle of the apparatus.

Another object is to provide a control means which is operable to supply equal quantities of refrigerant to each of a plurality of multiplely connected, 1. e., connected in parallel or multiple, evaporators.

Another object is to provide a fluid flow controlling valve of novel construction and having eflicient operation.

The invention consists in the improved con struction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter and'the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out; and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, to be taken as a part of this specification, wehave fully and clearly illustrated our invention, in which drawing- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a re-' frigerating apparatus having certain structure embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a view shown in vertical central crosssection of a preferred form of valve embodying our invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of the valve looking at the side and bottom or outlet portion thereof, andj Fig. 4 is a view shown in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by characters of -reference there is shown in Fig. 1 a well known type of refrigerating apparatus or system comprising a refrigerant condensing unit I and a cooling element or refrigerant evaporator 2. The elementl comprises a compressor 3 driven by a motor 4, a refrigerant condenser 5 and a'receiver 6, all communicatively connected together. The evaporator 2 is fed or supplied with refrigerant medium from the receiver 6 by a conduit memspaced cooling coils or evaporator elements 8 having a common return or outlet header member 9. The .header member 9 is connected to the compressor 3 by a refrigerant medium suction or returnline 9. The cooling coils 8 are preferably substantially of equal length and flow capacity and may to be air conditioned.

for example be arranged in the path of an air stream supplying a room or other enclosed space efficient refrigerating system or apparatus, each of the coils 8 should receive refrigerant medium 5 at the same rate, that is, the medium should be uniformly or evenly distributed, and to this end we provide our novel thermostatic expansion valve designated in general by the numeral I0.

Referring now to the construction of the ex- 10 pansion valve [0, it includes a hollow body member or distributor head ll having an inlet conduit l2receiving the conduit member 1, and also having a plurality of outlet conduits 13 for connection to the'coils 8. stantially rectangular in horizontal cross-section and has a substantially cylindrical chamber or recess M which opens'at its upper end through the top-wall of member II and which has a bottom or end wall I4 through a lateral projecting portion on the side wall of the member II and through a side wall p'ort into the chamber l4. Below the inlet port of conduit l2, the chamber ll is of reduced diameter providing an internal, upwardly facing 25 annular shoulder l5. Beneath the shoulder iii, the member H has oppositely directed, downward diverging, substantially rectangular pro-" jecting portions l5 through each of which a series of the conduits 13 extends. The'conduits 30 l3 have their outlet end portions in substantially parallel alinement and open in radially spaced relation from chamber l4 beneath the shoulder l5. Disposed in the chamber I4 is an open ended,

elongated sleeve or tubular housing member I6 35 having intermediate its ends, an external annular flange II which fits in the chamber l4 and provides a downward facing shoulder which seats on the shoulder l5. The tubular member l6 has a longitudinally extending valve chamber la in which a piston-like, cylindrical valve member I9 is adapted to reciprocate with a snug sliding fit. Through its side wall the tubular member l6 has, above the flange l1,

a plurality of inlet apertures or ports '20 estabapertures or valve ports 2| which register one I3. The ports 2| are and equalwith each of the conduits preferably circular and of equal area,

1y spaced above the bottom wall II. "The mem--' ber -16 is held in fixed rotative position with the" ports 2| and the outlets I; in registry,

In order to provide an The member H is sub-.15

The inlet conduit l2 opens 20 cylindrical bore or 40 i on the .upper side oi a dowel or locating pin 2| in sockets in member l6 and wall ll. Intermediate its ends the valve member N has a reduced portion 22 providing a circumferential annular chamber or recess 23 for establishing communication between the inlet ports and the outlet ports 2|. The reduced portion 22 provides at the lower end of member I! a cylindrical valve portion or head 26 having an nular cut-off shoulder 21. Above ports 20, the member It has an internal, downwardly facing annular shoulder 25 -to limit upward movement of the valve member l9. When the valve member I9 is in a raised position, the valve portion 26 overlies and closes the inlet side of the outlet ports 2|. When the valve member i9 is in closed position, the upwardly facing valve shoulder 21 is preferably only slightly above the outlet ports 2| so that communication will be established beseating at its ends tween the inlet ports 20 and the outlet ports 2l' upon slight downward movement of the valve member l9.

Surrounding the opening at the upper end of the body member H is an annular flange 28 which receives a removable closure and supporting member 29 having a flange portion 30. The undersideof member 29 has a cylindrical recess 3| to receive the upper end portion of the housing member l6, and to hold member l6 down against shoulder l5. Mounted on and secured by bolts 32 to the members II and 29 there is a hollow casing 33, the joints preferably being sealed by gaskets. The member 29 has an upstanding guide portion 35 with a central, longitudinal bore -Il therethrough, through which and an alined valve member bore 31, a valve actuating thrust rod or member 38 extends. The rod member 38 is secured to the valve member Is, as at 38 in a portion which bridges the bore 31 so that liquid will not be trapped beneath member Ill.

The casing 33 terminates at its upper end in a chamber portion 39 containing a diaphragm member all in operative thrust transmitting engagement with the thrust member 38. Interposed between an abutment member 4! on thrust member 33 and an adjustable abutment member 42 carried by the closure member extension 35; there is a helical coil spring 43 under compression and acting to oppose downward movement of member and to move the valve member I!) upward toward closed position. The diaphragm member 40 serves to divide the interior of casing 33 into two pressure chambers 44 and 45. The lower chamber M is end of the header 9 by means of a conduit or pipe 46 leading from the casing nipple or fitting W to a T-fitting M3 in the return line 9. This chamber it therefore is at the return line refrigerant derside of diaphragm member 40. The chamber is communicatively connected by a tube 49 to a bulb element 50 containing a temperature responsive volatile liquid so that fluid pressure corresponding to the temperature of element 5!] acts diaphragm member 40 in opposition to the pressure in chamber 441 and the force of spring 3. The bulb element 50 is clamped in intimate heat exchange relation to the return line or conduit 9 adjacent the header outlet. An adjusting means 5i for regulating the force of spring 43 extends through the side wall of casing 33.

When the compressor 3 is operating, gaseous refrigerant medium is withdrawn from the evaporator header 9 creating a, suction pressure in upward facing an in communication with the outlet 1 medium pressure which acts on the unthe coils 8 and valve pressure chamber 44. The

. medium is compressed and delivered to the condenser l where it is liquified and whence it goes to the receiver 5. From the receiver 5 the refrigerant medium returns to the evaporator 2 under control of the thermostatic expansion valve Ill; The valve ID regulates or throttles the refrigerant medium flow in response to the differential of pressures acting on opposite sides of the diaphragm member 40, one pressure varying in accordance with the temperature of bulb element 50 and the other pressure varying in accordance with the refrigerant medium in the header 9 or return line 9'. As the thrust member 38 moves downward, the valve head will admit refrigerant medium to the outlet conduits l3 and since equal port areas are simultaneously uncovered, the refrigerant medium will be distributed equally and at the same rate to each of the coils Since the point of distribution of the refrigerant medium is on the high pressure side of the system, so that the refrigerant medium is substantially in liquid phase, the division by our valve of the refrigerant medium supplied to the valve will be uniform and equal in quantity per unit of time for any given open position of the valve member l9.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a plurality of multiplely arranged refrigerant medium evaporating elements, a refrigerant medium supply conduit having a plurality of branch conduits communicatively connected one to each of said elements, a valve casing having a plurality of outlets and intercalated between said conduit and its branch conduits, a single valve member in said casing and directly controlling each of said outlets and operable to distribute the refrigerant medium at equal rates to said branch conduits, a returnconduit member communicatively connected with the outlets from a plurality of said elements, and means controlling said valve and responsive to temperature at said return conduit member.

2. A valve of the character described, comprising a hollow body member having a substantially cylindrical chamber open at its upper end and having an upward facing annular shoulder in said chamber, said body member having an inlet conduit to said chamber above said shoulder and having a plurality of outlet conduits leading from said chamber below said shoulder, an elongated hollow housing member positioned in said chamber and having intermediate its ends a downward facing surrounding shoulder seating on said annular shoulder,- said housing member having an inlet port above said shoulder and communicating with said inlet conduit and having a plurality of outlet ports registering with said outlet conduits, a closure member for and on the open upper end of said chamber, said closure member having engagement with said housing member and urging said surrounding shoulder into engagement with said annular shoulder, an elongated valve member longitudinally reciprocal in said housing member and having intermediate its ends a circumferential recess communicating with said inlet port, the lower end portion of said valve member cooperating with said outlet ports and being operable upon reciprocation to cover and uncover said outlet ports, and means to hold said housing member against rotation in said chamber.

3. A valve of the character described comprisof outlet ports registering with said outlet conduits, a closure member for and on the open 'upper. end of said chamber, said closure member having engagement with said housing member and urging said surrounding shoulder intoengagement. with said annular shoulder, and an elongated valve member longitudinally reciprocal in said housing member and having intermediate its ends a circumferential recess communicatin with said inlet port, thelower end portion of said valve member cooperating with said outlet ports and being operable upon reciprocation to cover and uncover said outlet ports. 1

4. A valve of the character described comprising a hollow body member having a substantially cylindrical chamber open having an upward facing annular shoulder in said chamber,'said body member having an inlet conduit to said chamber above said shoulder and having a plurality of outlet conduits leading from said chamber below said shoulder, an elongated hollow housing member'positioned in said chamher and having intermediate its ends a downward lacing surrounding shoulder seating 'on said annular shoulder, said housing member having an inlet port above said shoulder and communicating with said inlet conduit and having a plurality of outlet ports registering with said outlet conduits, a closure member for and on the open upper end of said chamber, said closure member having engagement with said housing member and urging said surrounding shoulder into engagement with said annular shoulder, .an

; elongated valve member longitudinally reciprocal in said housing member and having intermediate its ends a circumferential recess communicating with said inlet port, the lower end portion of said valve member cooperating with said outlet ports and being operable upon reciprocation to coverand uncover said outletports, and means for flow or liquid from and to opposite ends of said valve member so that liquid will not be trapped in said housing member beneath said valve member.

5. A valve or the character described comprising a hollow body member having a substantially cylindrical chamber open at its upper end and having an, upward facing annular shoulder in said chamber, said body member having an inlet conduit to said chamber above said shoulder and having a plurality of outlet conduits leading from said chamber below said shoulder, an elongated hollow housing member positioned in said chamat its upper end and r ber and having intermediate its ends a downward facing surrounding shoulder seating on said annular shoulder, said housing member having an inlet port above said shoulder and communicating with said inlet conduit and having a plurality of outlet ports registering with said outlet conduits, a closure member for and on the open upper end of said chamber. said 'closure member having engagement with said housing member and urging said surrounding shoulder into engagement with said annular shoulder, and

a valve membe longitudinally reciprocal in said housing member, said valve member cooperating with said outlet ports and being operable upon reciprocation to cover and uncover said outlet ports.

6. A valve of the character described comprising a hollow body member having a substantially cylindrical chamber open atits upper end, said body member having an inlet conduit to said chamber and having a plurality of outlet conduits leading from said chamber, an elongated hollow housing member positioned in said chamber and having an open upper end, said housing member having an inlet port communicating with said inlet conduit and having a plurality of outlet ports registering with said outlet conduits, a closure member for and on the open upper end or said chamber, said closure member having engagement with and urging said housing member into engagement with said body member, an elongated valve member longitudinally reciprocal in said housing member and having intermediate its ends a circumferential recess communicating with said inlet port, the lower end portion of said valve member cooperating with said outlet ports and being operable upon reciprocation to ber, said housing member having a plurality of inlet ports communicating with said inlet conduit and having a plurality of outlet ports registering with said outlet conduits, a closure memher for and on the open upper end of said chamber, said closure member having engagement with and urging said housing member into engagement with said body member, and an elongated valve member longitudinally reciprocal in said housing member and having intermediate its ends a circumferential recess communicating with said inlet port, the lower end portion of said valve member cooperating with said outlet ports and being operable upon reciprocation to cover and uncover said outlet ports, said housing member inlet ports opening into said valve member recess.

' EDWARD L. ANDERSON.

\ JOHN ENGAI'IITCHEFF, JR. 

